Summer Book Club:
A Path of Discovery
Spend eight weeks exploring ways to discern your personal path of practice, seen through the lens of the Noble Eightfold Path.
Our text is “The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering” written by Bhikkhu Bodhi and published by Pariyatti Publishing. This is the 2000 edition. It is also accessible in an audio format.
The optional supplemental text is "Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness: Walking the Buddha's Path" written by Bhante Gunaratana and published by Wisdom Publications.
We will gather for in-person and online discussion on
eight Thursdays from 7:00 pm to 8:15 pm Eastern US time, Aug 4 through Sept 22.
The Zoom link is here.
There is also a class forum where you can share your thoughts
with Ayya and other book club participants.
See weekly reading assignments and class discussion recordings below.
Week 1. August 4th
Right View
Reading assignment: Pages vii through 27
Reflection questions: Do you see kamma working in your life? What would it take to have a penetrative understanding of dukkha? How do you practice with craving?
Week 2. August 11th
Right Intention
Reading assignment: Pages 29 through 42
Reflection questions: How do you cultivate wise attention? What nourishes kindness and compassion? Is there a role for desire?
Week 3. August 18th
Right Speech
Reading assignment: Pages 43 through 53
Supplemental talk: Finding the Time for Right Speech
Notes on Middle Length Discourse 58
Reflection questions: How do you know what’s truthful? What do you do when the response to your speech is different than you expected? Is speech that represents many different than speech that represents your personal view?
Week 4. August 25th
Right Action
Reading assignment: Pages 53 through 59
Supplemental talk: Enacting the Way of Non-harming
Reflection questions: Are there times when it’s challenging to keep one of the first three precepts? How can the precepts become supports rather than rules?
Week 5. September 1st
Right Livelihood
Reading assignment: Pages 59 through 60 in Bhikkhu Bodhi text
Reflection questions: Can you practice at work? How can ethics become part of the conversation at work?
Week 6. September 8th
Right Effort
Reading assignment: Pages 61 through 73 in Bhikkhu Bodhi text
Reflection questions: Do you tend to strive too hard or not try hard enough? Do you ever see the hindrances working when you’re off the cushion? Is there a time when the factors of enlightenment can be present for you?
Week 7. September 15th
Right Mindfulness
Reading assignment: Pages 75 through 91 in Bhikkhu Bodhi text
Reflection questions: What helps you find the present moment? Do you find it easier to be mindful of the body or the mind? Is there a dhamma framework that you find particularly descriptive of your experience?
Week 8. September 22nd
Right Concentration
Reading assignment: Pages 93 through 120 in Bhikkhu Bodhi text
Reflection questions: Have you found an object that is more easily maintained in awareness? How do you relax your mind?
Optional: Tell us about the Noble Eightfold Path without telling us about the Noble Eightfold Path. Write a poem, share a photo, or paint a picture of your Path, and share it at the group discussion meeting.
If you would like to offer feedback, please fill out the book club evaluation form here. It is anonymous, and has just 6 questions.
The Buddha, and the women and men who were Arahants in his time, taught the Noble Eightfold Path in hundreds of discourses. There is an entire chapter in the Linked Discourses on the Noble Eightfold Path, for example. One discourse from that chapter lists the eight aspects of the Path and defines each one: